


Thought You Said You Didn't Feel Pain

by teacupshatters



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Angst, Episode: s03e07 Digestivo, Hannibal Loves Will, M/M, Manipulative Will Graham, Sad Hannibal Lecter, Short One Shot, basically canon, mention of mizumono, this is my first attempt at this and i don't know what i'm doing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 15:49:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11293818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teacupshatters/pseuds/teacupshatters
Summary: Hannibal can't control his reaction when Will delivers his speech and sends him away at the end of Digestivo (3x07). Will delights in the power that he has over Hannibal.





	Thought You Said You Didn't Feel Pain

Will lies still at last, appearing to be peaceful in slumber. Hannibal watches him with a barely concealed smile, thankful that Will is able to relax after the unpredictable events that occurred at Muskrat Farm.

Seeing Will's life in the hands of someone other than himself stirred something inside of him, and he admits a justified sense of pride at the inventive scene he left back at the farm. He's sure that Jack will find it absolutely abhorrent, which is why he's so delighted. He imagines Jack's reaction when he finally realises that Will left with him, that Will chose him.

Hannibal realises that he has been neglecting Will's current condition when he suddenly notices that Will is no longer sleeping, though he is still lying motionless. He wonders what Will's motive is, and how long he plans to fake sleep. He considers speaking up, but ultimately decides to let the situation play out and allow Will to believe he has the upper hand.

After an hour has passed Hannibal briefly steps outside to talk to Chiyoh, hoping that his exit will give Will a chance to compose himself.  
However, once he returns to see that Will has not moved, yet his breathing pattern still reveals that he is awake, he decides to intervene.

"Your imitation of sleep does not hold up to scrutiny, Will". Hannibal speaks, his voice low with amusement, though it contains a hint of disapproval that he expects Will to entirely discard.

Will finally rises; He has the audacity to rub his eyes as he leans back against the headboard.

Hannibal surmises that Will feels irritated, tempestuous and slightly chagrined, though he is working well to conceal those feelings.

"Oh, good morning. How long have you been here?" Will says conversationally, a smile plastered across his face. One eyebrow is raised, as if daring Hannibal to challenge him. 

He rises to the bait.

"How long would you have continued, Will? Did you believe that I would abandon you? Did you hope that I would?" Hannibal questions, face passive and tone entirely too even.

"Too many questions" is Will's cheerful response as he raises one hand to cover a mock yawn.

As much as Hannibal enjoys Will's little games, he is wholly aware of the lack of time they have.

He covers the distance between them in three steps that echo in the deathly quiet of the room. He stares down at Will, his height advantage sending a clear message, and Hannibal registers the first brief flicker of uncertainty flit across Will's face.

"I do not speak simply to hear the sound of my own voice, Will".

Will opens his mouth, clearly intending to interject with an impertinent comment, but the forceful look on Hannibal's face is enough to make him reconsider.

"The questions that I asked are not unreasonable. I expect you to answer me". Hannibal's tone is firm, leaving no room for Will to make excuses.

He will either obey, or he will not.

"I'm not sure how long. And as for abandoning me, it would hardly be the first time, would it? I'd prefer you to leave now than leave me on your kitchen floor again". Will's bitterness is entirely palpable in his voice; Hannibal can tell it is genuine.

Will has achieved what he intended to. They are now both revisiting that night back in Baltimore, both experiencing similar feelings of regret, both finally on the same level as one another.

"It all returns to that, does it? Do we talk about teacups and time, and the rules of disorder?" 

Hannibal intends the words to be mocking, to offend, to ensure that Will sees that he is acting irrationally.

It achieves the opposite effect.

Will's expression is one of animosity and absolute aggravation, and Hannibal knows now how things will turn out. He feels almost ashamed, he should have known not to broach the subject of the teacup, knowing how Will associates it so unquestionably with Abigail. Be that as it may, the words have left his mouth, and he never did manage to counteract time.

"The teacup's broken. It's never going to gather itself back together again". Will says calmly, yet in the next moment his mouth twists unpleasantly and Hannibal knows what is coming.

"Although, I don't think I'm the one dwelling on the past. Do you want your little book back, Hannibal?" And with a triumphant, cruel smile, Will retrieves a small, plain book and throws it to him. Hannibal recognises it immediately. The book that's filled with hundreds of equations to reverse time, the book that contains his work over the last few years. He was working in it before he left to speak to Chiyoh: Will must have taken it then. 

Hannibal hides his eagerness to have the book back with him, and he feels the intensity of Will's scorn, just as Will premeditated. Still, if he can rearrange equations then he can certainly rearrange this situation, and so he backtracks.

"Thank you, Will". He says as he pockets the book. Will's smile grows larger.

"Your memory palace is building. It's full of new things. It shares some rooms with my own. I've discovered you there. Victorious". Hannibal pairs the final word with a smile, acknowledging Will's earlier manipulation and showing that he isn't fazed. 

"When it comes to you and me, there can be no decisive victory". 

Backtracking again. Will is unable to accept his success, choosing instead to further antagonise Hannibal.

"We are a zero-sum game?" Hannibal questions with a forced air of politeness. He doesn't like the direction their conversation is veering.

Will takes a long look around his home, and when he returns to meet Hannibal's gaze his eyes are purposeful and have a certain harshness to them that Hannibal cannot recall ever seeing before.

"I'm not going to miss you. I'm not going to find you. I'm not going to look for you. I don't want to know where you are or what you do. I don't want to think about you anymore".

The words sound rehearsed, yet Hannibal cannot fault the determined look on Will's face. Out of everything he had expected, he hadn't anticipated such a heartless admission. 

"You don't mean that, Will. You cover your lies well, but you can't hide completely. Not from me. You don't mean that. I know you don't". Hannibal repeats the words, but that's all they are. Just words. He repeats the same mantra - Will doesn't mean it. Will can't mean it. Although, Hannibal can say with complete honesty that he has no idea of Will's intentions anymore. 

"That's the thing, Hannibal. You don't know me anymore. I'm not the same man you left bleeding on your kitchen floor. You told me then that you'd changed me- Here's the new product". 

Hannibal would prefer Will's mocking smile to the dead, emotionless expression that currently resides on his face. He doesn't believe that Will can be swayed now.

Still, he has to try.

"You delight in wickedness and then berate yourself for the delight". 

A clear reference to their time before the events of that night, before Will betrayed him. Will's expression remains, and when he speaks, his voice is cold and flat.

"You delight. I tolerate. I don't have your appetite".

A final sting of rejection. Hannibal is rising to leave even before Will opens his mouth to deliver what he intends to be the final words spoken between them.

"Goodbye, Hannibal".

The finality of the words strikes something deep within Hannibal. He doesn't realise that he's crying until he feels a tear pass over his parted lips, and still he can't control it.

This one tear seems to have more effect on Will than any of Hannibal's hidden pleas. He grins unashamedly. 

"I didn't think you even had emotions". Will beams, and Hannibal can hear the laugh that's perched underneath his chin. He isn't expected to respond, so he doesn't. Will spoke simply to ridicule, to exert one last bit of power over him.

Hannibal needs to leave before he does something rash. They both know what happened the last time Will believed he had the upper hand, so he doesn't understand why Will continues to bait him. Perhaps he wants Hannibal to lash out, but Hannibal refuses to give him more satisfaction. Will already knows how affected he is. As Hannibal reaches the door, Will delivers one last parting blow.

"Hannibal".

He's uncomfortable with how fast he turns around, and the glint in Will's eyes shows that it isn't lost on him. Paired with his broad grin, Hannibal can't recollect seeing him express such joy before. Under different circumstances, he would delight in seeing such a beautiful sight.

"Is this how it felt? Back in Baltimore?"

It's clear what night Will is referencing. Will constantly carries the reminder of that night with him on his stomach, and Hannibal in his mind. It's also clear that Will is asking if Hannibal's feelings then compare to Will's at this moment. He wants to say that Will will never experience the delight that Hannibal felt as he watched Will slide to the floor and stood triumphant over him, but he doesn't believe he could get the words out without his voice giving away more than he already has. So he tells Will what he wants to hear.

"Yes".

As Will watches Hannibal leave him for the final time, he wonders if Hannibal felt the same intense regret back in Baltimore that Will feels now.

**Author's Note:**

> hello!! my name is phoebe and this is my first time doing anything like this so i'm so sorry if it was really bad!! there's probably loads of mistakes because i'm currently checking it at 1am and i'm tired as Shite so please excuse!! please please please let me know what you think if anyone reads this ((constructive criticism is verrrry much appreciated!)) if this gets decent feedback and things i'll av another go and also this title and idea sort of was inspired by the line "wipe away your tear stains, thought you said you didn't feel pain" from the song landfill!!! it's a really good hannigram song & i have a big ole collection of them on spotify under the name phoebedevries if u wanna go follow my hannigram playlist!!! it's called hannigram with two pink emoji hearts & also my twitter is @lazypsychiatry & i just rt loads of hannibal shit and cry over hannigram all day so if u can relate come hmu i need friends!!!! thank you so much if you've read this


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